A Tale for Twilight
by Simon S. Borderline
Summary: There's nothing better than curling up in your bed with your new favorite book. You know the one you can't put down no matter how much you try. 'Course maybe you should put it down as Twilight is about to learn sometimes the scariest things in the Equestria, aren't from her world at all.
1. Chapter 1

**Im working through some writers block right now and while i was thinking up my next scene in the Winchester/Pony series i started daydreaming about spooky situations in which to put the characters in. This one didn't fit in with the main storyline so i decided to give it a life apart. This story is meant to strike fear into your hearts without going into the "Cupcakes" side of fanfiction. I wanted to create a real Old School horror style with this story so if your a fan of gore you will be sorely dissapointed, but if you don't want to sleep tonight...turn off the lights, shut your door,and glue yourself to your monitor. This is part 1 of 3 of...**

**A Tale for Twilight**

It was midnight, the full moon was shining bright as it hung high atop Twilight's library. Princess Luna had especially made sure there were extra stars in the night sky as a favor for Twilight. Inside the library a small mouse scampered across the floor in search of a crumb of food to feed his starving belly. It's nose sniffing constantly to detect any signs of danger, which to his senses were nonexistent.

Death came on swift wings as Owlicious wrapped the small creature in her razor sharp claws with a vice like grip. She turned silently throughout the main floor before returning to her perch and landing as softly as she took off. The mouse disappeared in two quick gulps while upstairs Spike snored quietly in his basket. He turned slightly as he dreamt whatever dreams a dragon dreams after consuming a meal big enough to fill his belly and warm enough to warrant a happy heart.

Twilight observed all this from under her blanket after a muffled bump distracted her from her literature. She had not known how Owlicious spent her nights without her until now. After crediting the mouse with knocking over a small object in the room below she retreated back under her covers with a sigh of relief. She used her magic to turn her lamp back on and flipped through the book pages until she found her place again.

It was quite a thrilling read at times, at others scary, and still others exciting and suspenseful. She refused to put it down until she was done. Twilight looked forward to these weekends when she was free to binge on reading marathons and cranberry muffins, with regards to Pinkie of course. She also had to thank Luna for providing her the perfect atmosphere for this book. It was so perfect in fact she found herself unable to hold her eyelids open for much longer. But that was earlier, amd that mouse had spooked the sleep right out of her, now she was prepared to keep going.

Twilight started at the top of the page again just to reread her favorite caption in the story thus far. She smiled with tired eyes as she started reading again. She did not get past a third of the page before her eyes started to droop again. She instantly jerked her head off her warm mattress and blinked her eyes open and shut to rid herself of her ailment. When she was confident she could power through her grogginess she returned to the top of the page to start over.

Her eyes shifted from side to side and from up the page downwards to the bottom where she was sure was the best part. With each new line she read her eyes skipped down the page. When she finished a sentence she grew eager for more and dragged her vision lower and lower. It wasn't until she saw the words running together that she realized her eyelids betrayed her and carefully slipped their way over her eyes as she continued.

Again Twilight jerked her head up from the under the covers, though this time more than she had meant to. She nearly threw herself out of bed and struggled to get back in position. Twilight shook her head and even slapped herself to clear her head. With new found determination she covered herself again and stared down the page that refused to let her go any lower this time than halfway. Twilight took a deep breath before continuing her read yet again from the top of the page. She refused to be defeated by a simple piece of paper.

She began reading the same line for the third time when she started to feel the true warmth and comfort of her bed. Her belly was filled near to the brim with sweets that radiated love and affection from one of her best friends. Twilight closed her book.

"Who am I kidding?" She said as she shifted under her covers and set the book to rest on her nightstand along with the lamp she slowly turned off. The warm golden glow it cast about the room gave way to the silver moonlight that cast shadows against the cold darkness. All in all a good night for Twilight Sparkle, and a good night's sleep lay ahead.

Twilight leaned back into her pillow and yawned widely stretching every muscle in her body as she...

THUMP!

Twilight jumped up in her bed as the loud noise reverberated throughout her house. She pulled the covers up to her face and sat shivering in her bed. Instantly her mind wandered to the book, though she knew it was immature to do so and she imagined, it, coming up the stairs to get her. She recovered quickly from her thoughts however, assuring herself there was nothing to be afraid of.

'It was probably just Owlicious who knocked over a book. I'm sure she's sorry and putting it back in its place.' She thought. "Spike are you awake?"

Twilight flashed back to when she was a filly and ran to her parents room whenever there was a storm.

"Owlicious? Is that you?" Twilight asked the empty doorway in front of her. After several moments of silence Twilight calmed down and lay back down to bed a bit exasperated, but otherwise fine. Twilight tried to clear her head of the nonsense that piled up from her little spook. She closed her eyes and tried thinking of her friends and all the things they did together. She tried thinking of her favorite childhood memories and reading Daring Doo as she grew up.

'Daring Doo, I bet Rainbow Dash wouldn't mind dreaming about her tonight.' She smiled at the thought just to push that little noise out of her head. It was probably just her imagination, but if it was then why did she hear it again. And again...the sound of creaking floorboards seemed to be getting louder. No, not louder. Closer. Twilight remembered the loud thump she heard earlier and her mind wandered to a more realistic threat, perhaps a burglar.

As she heard the creaking again she sat up in an instant and cast a powerful glow from her horn to reveal the perpetrator of her thoughts. But when she opened her eyes she found nopony in sight. She lowered the light as Spike snorted and turned over. She felt absolutely childish being afraid.

'But a perfectly natural fear of course. Darkness hides threats we can't see so it's really not all that childish but in fact rather rational.' She thought as a cold draft made its way into her room and under her covers. She shivered as another less frightening possibility occurred to her. Twilight made her way downstairs, walking down creaky steps. 'Mystery solved'

On reaching the bottom Twilight found an unlocked window swinging just a bit in the cool night air. She breathed another sigh of relief when she noticed Owlicious was gone. Normally this would worry her, but upon reflecting on her midnight routine earlier Twilight figured she was probably still hungry and stepped out. A sudden gust of wind surely blew the window against the rafters.

Twilight closed the window and started back up the stairs in deafening silence. Halfway up she noticed a stain on one of the floorboards and felt a warm trickle of something down the side of her cheek. She rubbed it off with her hoof and inspected it in the darkness, it smelled rather bad too. She looked up and saw what appeared to be a larger stain, like the one below one the ceiling above. Judging by its size and smell she decided it was most likely a mildew stain she just had never noticed before. The previous owners must've not looked after the roof very much.

Just as she was about to step away Twilight grew entranced by the stain. As she continued to stare at it she grew positive she could see something, but every time her eyes darted in one direction or the other the darkness melded into whatever she had seen and prevented the full image coming together. At one point she thought she saw movement, but then another drop of the questionable liquid dropped into her eye and she had had enough.

Walking back into her bedroom she uncovered her eye and tried inspecting the liquid in the moonlight which to her eyes appeared brown in color. In texture it was rather sticky but in composition it was runny. Twilight sighed and lifted a polishing cloth from nearby to clean her hoof and eye. Twilight thought about maybe not starting her reading marathons before bedtime if she wanted to avoid more of this same nonsense. She crawled into bed and shut her eyes determined to fall into a deep sleep.

Just before she did however she slipped one of her eyelids open to look at the basket next to her bed. Why did she keep it there again?

**How about it? Eager for more? It will come, in time. Stay young my friends.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright here is the second chapter, in this one you will read more about gore than spooks but that's simply because it is impossible without seeing a scary movie or reading a scary story without so much as being exposed to blood or something. I would've posted this on thursday but i had internet problems and forgot about this after i went to bed. Sorry bout that. So once again i will ask you to turn out the lights, apply some glue to the seat of your pants, and light a candle in the corner to add to the ambience as you read part two of...**

**A Tale for Twilight **

Twilight awoke the next day with horrible pain. Her entire body ached as she slowly clambered out of bed, her stiff joints cracked loudly as she put weight on them. As she stretched one of her legs bumped against the empty basket she remembered seeing last night.

Twilight kicked it aside as she made her way downstairs to continue her morning routine. A quick miserable breakfast of bread and water would have to do as she needed to arrive early for the first of her many errands. 'Life would be easier if I had an assistant to help me.' She thought as she packed a load of quills and parchment into her saddlebags. Twilight trotted over to her door and opened it to a blanket of mist that slowly spilled into her home.

'This is strange weather for Ponyville' she thought as she stepped outside. The small droplets of water clung to her pelt and chilled her. She closed the door to prevent any further mist from entering her library and damaging the books. As she did she turned to find Mr. and walking down the street some distance away and called to them.

The cakes stopped midstride, though only momentarily as their expressionless faces looked for the source of the noise. Twilight waved at them as they started moving on again. 'That was strange, but I guess they just couldn't see me.' She shrugged it off and continued on her way. All down the street she past many pony silhouttes on either side talking amongst themselves or otherwise ignoring her completely.

She stopped hoping to get her bearings within the thick cloud that seemed to dampen conversation. Gritting her teeth at the dull steady ache of her back she strained to listen to the few words she could scarcely understand but clearly hear. The voice seemed feminine and young, and though it was speaking it seemed to be more lyrical than usual, as a sing-song. 'I must be near the playground.' Twilight thought and hurried down the street to pass the children as they played.

When she got to the playground however it was not as she had imagined. Up until now their was no shortage of children wanting to climb, and run, and sing, and play. But no longer. Before today the grounds were carefully tended and playground equipment inspected and repaired when needed to be. What Twilight saw was in a sense sad and malicious.

The grass grew long and wild. The slide and jungle gym were broken down and splayed out under its weight. The chains on the swing set were rusted through and the chairs hanging loosely at the ends. And the see-saw rotted in place. There were no children anywhere in sight, except for the one spinning slowly on the carousel. She was difficult to see through the mist and so Twilight approached her as the song came into full clarity.

_"Ring around the rosie_

_ Pocket full of Posies_

_ Ashes, Ashes_

_ All fall down"_

Twilight recognized Applebloom as the carousel stopped so that they could make eye contact. She was estranged to find her holding onto the bars with her head hanging low. She didn't speak a word for a long time afterward and seemed completely oblivious to Twilight's presence. Finally Twilight asked, "Is...everything okay Applebloom?"

Applebloom didn't move at first, her actions disturbing Twilight more than she already was in a playground full of nothing but crushed innocence. Then slowly and deliberately Applebloom raised her head until her eyes met Twilight's. "He didn't want me."

As she spoke the mist grew thicker and started concealing her form from view. Twilight drew back in fear, her breath quickened and pulse raced. What did she mean? Why was she alone? Who is this HE that didn't want her?

Another voice then broke through the mist, it was Rainbow Dash.

"Over here Twilight. Twilight, over here."

She turned and strained her eyes in vain to find her friend.

"Hurry up Twi! Before it's too late."

"Rainbow where are you? Why is there so much mist in Ponyville?"

There was silence for a moment. Then, "What are you doing Twilight!? Run!"

Twilight didn't know what she was talking about but now she was panicking too much to care. She galloped to where she thought Dash's voice was coming from. The mist weighed her down as it soaked through the papers in her bags. The whole while she ran she listened to Rainbow's voice as it came through urgently and clear as a bell unlike the others.

"Just try to catch up to me!"

Now Twilight's fears becalmed themselves as she thought Rainbow Dash was taunting her rather than drawing her attention for a more important matter.

"Rainbow Dash just stop it!" Twilight slammed to a halt. The whole time she was chasing her invisible friend her eyes were pasted to the sky in hopes of finding her against the sun, but the mist blocked out everything. And so she didn't see the solid object she collided with.

The pain in her body intensified ten fold with the worst of it in her lower jaw and shoulders. She had trouble breathing and she saw spots before her eyes. There was a loud ringing in her ears over which she could hear Rainbow's disconcerting last words.

"Why didn't you listen?"

Twilight lay on the ground for a while before standing up and shaking the damp bags off her body, she felt too weak to carry such heavy baggage. As she stood she found the object she ran into what Carousel Boutique, home of her friend Rarity. At once she felt relieved, Rarity would never turn down a friend in need.

Twilight opened the door to a dark unkempt front room. Supplies and needles were scattered about the floor, the shades were drawn down shutting out natural light. Rags hung from mutilated pony dummies, and beautiful dresses were torn to shreds just outside a door at the far end of the room. A door which was slightly ajar and from which the faintest glow of light was discernible.

The hinges of the door creaked as she pushed it open and found Rarity sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by more garbage. Her horn glowing slightly as she raised a comb back and forth slowly. She was muttering something under breath Twilight just couldn't make out. In the darkness of the room Rarity was just visible as a ghostly white form, but even in the inky darkness she found something wrong with her. Something was just not right. Twilight, against her better judgment decided to call her attention.

"Rarity, it's me Twilight? I just ran into your house but, are you okay?" She said as she slowly made her way around the room, keeping her distance. As she did she found that Rarity was combing a fluffy white lump she grasped in her forelegs, a little smiling mouth protruded from under her curls. The whole time Twilight looked at her she continued to whisper to herself. Twilight couldn't stand this. She lit her own horn and shone its light toward Rarity.

She was sickened by what she saw. Rarity's pelt had become a sickly green colour and it had withered away so much at some places entire patches of her hair where missing. Her mane too suffered as it no longer was lustrous and thick but rather thinning and pale pink. Twilight held her breath for fear uttering another word to Rarity. She didn't need to worry about who would make the next move as Rarity stopped her combing and turned her face to Twilight.

Again Twilight bit her tongue as she saw the full extent of Rarity's ailment. Her face was withered like a prune and smeared with age old mascara. Her cheeks sunk into her mouth and her eyes were clouded over. As she smiled at her her lipstick stained lips revealed crooked yellowing teeth and breath strong enough to inspire revulsion in anypony.

"Hello Twilight. Don't I look marvelous?"

"Rarity. What happened to you?"

"Why nothing I should say. I'm as beautiful as always. Don't you agree?"

Twilight didn't know what to say.

"Rarity what's wrong with you? Why is the store such a mess? Why are you such a mess?"

"Twilight I'm so insulted. I'm as organized as always, and as beautiful as always. Aren't I pretty?"

"Rarity...No. What is..." Rarity flew into a bit of rage.

"What are you talking about you unkempt shrew!? Do you not see my magnificence or can't your shotty little Canterlot eyes behold my beauty!?" Suddenly she brought the fluff to her ear. It was then that the fluff she was combing was actually Opal, or at least what was left of her. The cat seemed to have dried up and mummified. It's eyes were missing from their sockets and it's lips stretched open its mouth reveal the rows of tiny sharp teeth that stuck out of bone. "Oh, what's that Opal? Oh, yes if my dear little spiky-wiky were here he'd tell me how pretty I look. He always thought I was beautiful."

Rarity smiled wildly at her dead cat and Twilight couldn't help but ask. "Who's spiky-wiky?"

"Why only the most adorably darling little baby dragon you've ever seen. It's a shame really that he had to leave." Rarity snuggled her cat like a child does her favorite plush toy. Twilight thought for a second and her eyes fluttered about as she began to recall why she had that basket. It was for Spike. That basket was his bed. But where did he go?

Twilight left the room without a second glance at her friend. She had to find Spike before something else disturbing happened to him. She ran to her library at full speed not caring for those she bumped against on the street, it seemed as if the crowds were pushing in against to keep her from moving on. Twilight reached her home from memory, nothing appeared to look the same in the fog.

She burst through her door and called out for Spike to no avail. She ran up the stairs and screamed as she saw Owlicious hanging from her ceiling, her wings and legs were spread at as if by some invisible force. Her beak was opened frighteningly wide and her tongue seemed to have been ripped out. The mysterious stain she saw last night was the pool of blood that congealed itself around her and caked her feather from head to toe. Twilight's eyes began to water as some disembodied shriek thrust the owl hard into her chest knocking her backward down the stairs.

Twilight landed hard on the cold hardwood floor with her owl friend at arm's length from her. Twilight opened her eyes slowly to discover the rough tumble and lack of air in her lungs left her with tunnel vision. Dazed, she tried making her way to Owlicious who was still rasping for breath. Twilight tried to comfort her final hour as the owl's little chest puffed in and out a final time. Twilight's eyes welled up with sadness and she lay there next to the lifeless body of one her closest friends. She didn't pay notice to the mist filling the room until a cold wind buffeted her.

The mist thickened around her, isolating her from her surroundings until she appeared as alone as she felt. Twilight tried to see beyond the mist this time. This time it was different. It was no longer as placid as it had been when she first saw it. Now it seemed to twist and unfurl, slowly at first, but the more she noticed it, the faster it was disturbed. Twilight sprang for the door when she began to see horrid disfigured faces.

Outside, the world had become void of life. The ponies that crowded the streets earlier had all vanished without a trace and the skies had darkened intensely. An orange blaze in the western sky gave Twilight the impossible notion that the sun was setting just moments after it had risen. Twilight felt an icy wind that carried its way slowly over her backside and to her breast, caressing her body. The breeze calmed her nerves as it hypnotically whispered sweet nothings into her ear.

The voices confused her to the point of becoming lightheaded, or perhaps it was the little trip she had earlier. Twilight gasped as the wind pierced her body. The caresses no longer soothed but stung, and dug deep into her core. She felt a sudden wave of warmth before an unfamiliar coldness started creeping up her body from her hooves.

She didn't want to die. Twilight dug her hooves hard into the ground and pulled hard from the entrance. The claws came loose but scratched fervently after her as she struggled to pull completely free. Twilight broke into a gallop as the mysterious force let go and she didn't stop. Not until she nearly tripped over Fluttershy in the middle of the road.

Twilight skidded to a halt as she saw her on her knees sobbing uncontrollably. Twilight didn't know what else to do in this strange environment, but consoling her seemed like a good start.

"Fluttershy, what's wrong?"

Fluttershy spoke through broken sobs.

"I-I-It hurt-so-much."

"What did?"

"She just-she just lay-there."

"Fluttershy..."Twilight didn't know what to say. She observed several claw marks on her back and flank, there were also dark bruises around her belly.

"What happened to you?"

"What-did-it-want-from-me?"

Twilight lay next to her friend and stroked her mane as she continued to cry. The whole world seemed to delight in her friends sadness as it blocked out all other sound just to amplify her crying. There was no rustle of leaves, or gurgle from the stream. Nothing.

Twilight continued to cry until Applejack came to mind. She was the most reliable pony in all of Equestria, and if she wouldn't stand by her side through all this craziness nopony would. She wiped the tears from her eyes and refused to cry further as a protest against the world that relished in her sorrow. Twilight stood alone in her tortured world and trudged achingly through the empty streets of ponyville until she reached the entrance to Apple family's farm.

When she heard Applejack's familiar laughter Twilight became hopeful that she would be able to help. As she rounded the corner of the barn however her heart sank. There was Applejack standing in front of her endless orchards of apple trees watching them all burn. The flames shot high into the sky and lit up the fog with an angry glow of orange, the sun had not set at all. Twilight approached Applejack to confront her on her mental state.

"Applejack, what is going on?" Twilight had to scream to be heard over the roar of the inferno.

"Isn't it great Twi? Big Macintosh just ran into the orchard with torch in mouth soon as heard the news. He even left me a pile for myself, ain't a sweetheart?" Applejack tossed a lamp into a wood pyre.

"Applejack what are you talking about?"

"Granny Smith is dead Twilight. We don't have to look after these apples anymore." Applejack laughed again, the same warm laugh Twilight always heard now seemed hollow.

"But these apples are your livelihood. You've always lived for them remember?"

"Not anymore. I'm finally free Twilight." Applejack said as a tear broke her eye. She turned slowly, took two big hops and lunged herself into the bonfire. Again Twilight was witness to the unbelievable as she saw her friend twist and writhe in pain. Her mane and tail burned up and her coat smouldered away so the fire charred the flesh beneath. All the while Applejack was screaming she had a smile on her face. A smile that grew bigger and broader as her lips melted away.

Twilight turned and ran from the horrible scene. Her chest ached as her bruised ribs heaved in and out. Her flank burned as scratches from the claws exposed her tender flesh to the blazing fire and freezing cold. Her eyes stung from tears freezing against the icy mist.

She ran because she wanted to leave this horrible nightmare behind. She wanted to leave the torture and pain that she had endured. She wanted to leave her friends alone to their fate. She just wanted to leave.

**Told there wouldn't be much gore, that's as much you can expect to see in this story. And i just can't help myself but ask forgiveness for the corruption of these innocent ponies. They're so cute it's almost impossible to imagine them suffer like this...almost. But let me know in the reviews if you liked the story and blah blah blah, only two of the sixty or so who read this story or gave it a look see bothered to do so.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright here is the final chapter of the story. Sorry it took so long but getting a new job and then losing it one month later can do strange things to a guy. Anyways i had a block on my mind i just couldn't get rid of, luckily with the approaching holiday of Halloween and mass of scary movies on Tv i broke through my block and am back on the scene. This last chapter will have Twilight, and hopefully you as well, disturbed to the core. Once again there's not much gore but as with every scary story there must be some, or just enough. Anyways because i am posting this on Halloween night, I forgot this site takes some amount of hours to post a story, you will probably be reading this Nov 1st. But you know let some of that Halloween feeling creep back into you so you can get in the mood to read...**

**A Tale for Twilight**

Twilight had no idea where she was, as fast as she ran she didn't seem to go anywhere. The blanket of fog had thickened so much she felt it suffocating her. She continued to run, eyes shut and tears streaming, until she felt the earth sink beneath her feet. Twilight fell into empty space. There was nothing holding her back anymore, all the mysteries of the universe were unveiled before her, but there was something wrong. The patterns didn't fit. The blocks were ever-changing but the patterns didn't fit. Twilight forced her mind to focus itself, they had to fit. But how could she concentrate with all these moths covering her bedroom walls? The bridge faltered, then broke over the mouth of fire. Her eyelids grew heavy but there was work to be done.

Twilight felt a jump and she awoke to find her throat burning and chest aching. She opened her eyes to behold a new darkness so black it hurt her eyes, so heavy it weighed her down. She couldn't but struggle to bring herself up on her front hooves as Discord's eviscerated body flopped its way past her. Twilight looked into his clouded eyes to see a small spark of life gleam at her. His muffled screams reached her ears without escaping his mouth. She couldn't turn her head to watch him go by but heard his clawed and hoofed footsteps continue to stumble on.

She was completely alone in this inky hell surrounding her, for the moment she found a bit of sordid peace. An echoing whisper sounded from far off and brought forth visages of pain, anger, and death.

"You were never my chosen one." She heard Celestia's voice resound loudly.

"Princess?" Twilight looked around as best she could to find her.

"Darlin' you're too smart for your own good."

'That was Applejack. But...'

"She's just a slave master. She's better of dead."

'Spike?'

"She was always a burden."

"She never belonged in our family"

'Cadence? Shining Armor? Twilight's eyes began to well with tears again.

"Let's just murder her"

A blast of overwhelming laughter of every kind surrounded her, along with ghostly resemblances of all pony kind including her friends and family. All of them just hanging from strings with broken mouths and twisted smiles pointed and laughed at her. Their movements weren't their own, something shook their strings to give life to the laughter. Twilight drew into herself pulling her hooves closer to her stomach.

A cold hard slap was given to her by one of the closest ghost puppets. Twilight turned to see who it was when she felt another slap on the back of her head. Tears flew from her eyes from the force of the hit. Twilight looked up as Cadence's figure dropped forward at her from it's place with her arm outstretched. Twilight shut her eyes and braced for the hit that never came. She looked back as Cadence flew back up, but another hard slap came from her left. From her brother, and they continued.

Each puppet took it's turn flying down at her and stopping short only to shake its head at her and cackle, then another would fly down and slap her before the next came and slapped her as well. They carried out in no visible manner that Twilight could predict. Tears flowed freely as they continued to assault her, laughing altogether the entire time.

Twilight's world spun, but all her world consisted of was darkness and devilish lifeless puppets. There was no escape for her. She closed her eyes but the laughing became louder, she opened them again in the hopes of quieting them slightly, but they laughed even louder to punish her insolence. Twilight could no longer hope for an end to this nightmare. It was reality, she realized, to live out the remainder of her life in hell. She would continue to live this way until death's sweet embrace overtook her.

'You will never leave' she heard a soft voice whisper in her ear.

Another slap sent Twilight to the ground. While she lay there unmoving she witnessed a horror unimaginable by pony eyes until today. She witnessed the mayor bring her stringed hands up to her neck and pulled her head free. Her flesh stretched and tore as she continued to pull. Blood flowed from her neck and pooled at her feet in a thick and noxious puddle. She continued to pull until the nerves and ligaments tore free from her spinal cord. The mayor shot her head at Twilight. It struck her directly in her face and landed next to her. The entire time it never stopped its haunting laughter. The laughing continued as the others followed suit and pelted her with their own.

Twilight rolled onto her back desperately seeking to escape the sickly smiles of her lost friends. It proved to be a mistake as the bodies piled their heads on her stomach and chest. They were no longer throwing them, they tore themselves from their bondage and purposely shoved their head into the pile on her stomach. The weight was becoming too much for her, her breathing was becoming labored and spots were starting to swarm her vision.

All these colors of yellow, red, blue, green all these she saw and she was glad to see them because wherever she saw them, they blocked out just a little bit more of that darkness. Despite the lack of light in this world her vision started to dim, but without the prospect of death she could feel no comfort.

"Hey Twilight! Want a muffin?" Pinkie offered her a tray topped with cranberry muffins.

Twilight jumped up in her bed and blinked the bright sunlight.

"Hey, Twilight." Twilight yelped and fell to the floor.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, Spike." Twilight sighed. "You had me going there for a second."

"Sorry. I just wanted to know if I could have one of your muffins."

"Huh? Oh, sure. I didn't squish them did I?"

"Nope." Spike held up a crushed muffin. "At least not too badly." He tossed it into his mouth.

"Oh, sorry for screaming like that. I just woke up from a nightmare."

"Really? What about?" Spike asked as he ate another muffin.

"Well first I...no, wait there was fog. Or was it a cloud? Did I dream I joined the Wonderbolts again?"

"So what was it? A cloud or fog?"

Twilight rubbed her head. "Come to think of it I can't remember."

"Well that's a shame. Come on we gotta get going. Rarity's going model her newest dresses for us, remember?"

"Okay. I definitely don't want to sleep anymore." Twilight made her bed as Spike hopped off with the muffin basket. Twilight spotted the book on her nightstand as she folded the sheets. "I'm done. Let's go."

"Great. We can give Pinkie her basket back too."

"Hey, you didn't finish all of them did you?"

"You ate the first dozen."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Fine." Spike led the way down the stairs, but Twilight paused at the top looking back at her room. "You go on ahead I forgot something." She went back to her room and picked up the book. She leafed through it quickly and found the place where she left off. Her eyes found the line she was looking for.

'He didn't want me, Corsette, he loves you.' For some reason the sentence sent shivers down her spine. Twilight brought the book downstairs with her and tossed it in the fireplace. "That's the last time I read a romance novel."

"Who."

Twilight turned face Owlicious. "Not another word." She turned and trotted out the door where an anxious Spike was waiting for her. The door closed and left the library in its usual silence. Owlicious peered curiously at the fireplace where the pile of paper was reduced to ashes, it meant nothing to her, and so she slept.

**How about it? Was this story to your fancy? No? What's that, the whole 'It was a dream the entire time' thing was played to death by that damnable movie inception? Well, i suppose you're correct. I've had it up to here with all those Inception jokes you find on the internet. So you know what? A special treat just for you for being so damn clever. It's an alternative ending, one of many of which i couldn't decide to put in. I might just keep them to myself, or perhaps i will create an addendum in the near future. Well i won't keep you much longer, i have to go celebrate mexican halloween.**

Alternative Ending No. 1

"Hey, Twilight." Twilight opened her eyes and found a large purple head bearing down on her. She screamed and jumped out of bed slamming to the ground.

"Twilight I'm so sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, Spike I'm so happy to see you." Twilight embraced the little purple dragon in a tight hug. "You would not believe the nightmare I had." She let him go realizing she made a mistake.

"Really? Ponies have nightmares? What about?" Twilight thought quickly.

"Oh, pfft, nothing. You know us ponies, I probably dreamt about running out of muffins or something."

"You mean you can't remember?"

"Nope, not a thing."

"You're lucky. I always remember my nightmares."

"Yes, well I can't."

"Oh, well. Come on, we have to get to that place the author of this story can't think of."

Twilight took a deep breath and prepared herself. Every night was the same. As she walked out of her library she pasted the same fake smile she had presented all her life. The same smile everypony smeared on their face every morning they woke up. Equestria was a happy place, everyone living there was happy. There was nothing bad in Equestria the princess assured them. But punishment had to be dealt to those who weren't happy. Twilight made a mistake in her last letter to the princess, she shouldn't have asked that she spared the children from _his_ wrath. Now she had been punished and she deserved it. So now all she had to do was smile, always a smile, because smiles were for happy ponies. And she was a happy pony, she was always a happy pony, because if she weren't a happy pony, she would go back there again. She didn't want to go back there again, once was enough, and the memories were enough of a reminder. But she wasn't going back there again, because she was a happy pony, just like everypony else.


End file.
